ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by frigid shooting and relentless pressure, the Green Bay Phoenix eked out a 47-44 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats in a non-conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at a raucous Resch Center.

The contest, played before an announced crowd of 1,995, was a grind from the opening tip, with neither team able to establish consistent offensive rhythm. The final score was the lowest combined total for both programs in recent memory, a testament to the defensive intensity on display.

Green Bay improved its season record to 5-1 with the hard-fought win, while Kansas State fell to 4-3.

The game was ultimately decided by a crucial sequence in the final 90 seconds. With the score tied at 45, Green Bay’s Kamy Peppler found Meghan Schultz for a layup with 1:23 remaining to put the Phoenix up by two. Kansas State, which had battled back from a slow start, had two critical opportunities to tie or take the lead in the final minute.

First, Wildcats guard Taryn Sides missed a layup but secured her own offensive rebound, only for a held ball to be called, granting possession to Green Bay. After a turnover by the Phoenix, Kansas State had one final chance with 8 seconds left. Following a timeout, the Wildcats inbounded the ball to Izela Arenas, whose potential game-tying 3-point attempt was blocked by Schultz. Schultz secured the defensive rebound and was fouled, effectively sealing the game.

The first half set the tone for the defensive slugfest. Kansas State’s offensive woes were severe, as the Wildcats managed just 16 points in the opening 20 minutes, shooting a dismal 8-of-31 from the floor and 0-for-10 from beyond the arc. Green Bay was not much more efficient, but built a 23-16 halftime lead behind 12 points from Maddy Skorupski.

Kansas State emerged from the locker room with renewed energy, opening the third quarter on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 25. The Wildcats finally found some offensive footing, scoring 14 points in both the third and fourth quarters after their anemic first-half output. The resurgence was led almost single-handedly by Nastja Claessens, the 6-foot-1 forward from Waregem, Belgium. Claessens was a force inside, finishing with a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds, relentlessly attacking the basket to keep her team within striking distance.

However, every Kansas State push was met with a response from Green Bay. The Phoenix relied on a balanced attack and superior ball movement, dishing out 13 assists on 19 made field goals compared to Kansas State’s eight assists. Peppler, a 5-foot-7 guard from Hortonville, Wisconsin, was the engine for Green Bay, orchestrating the offense with seven assists, eight points, six rebounds and a block while playing 34 minutes.

The key individual matchup lived up to its billing in the paint. Schultz, Green Bay’s 6-foot-4 center from Waukesha, Wisconsin, recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, providing a critical interior presence. Her late-game block and rebound were the defining defensive plays. Skorupski complemented her with 13 points.

For Kansas State, the offensive struggles extended beyond the slow start. The Wildcats finished the game shooting just 31.1 percent from the field and a catastrophic 8.7 percent from 3-point range, making only two of 23 attempts. They also committed 16 turnovers. Gina Garcia facilitated the offense with seven assists, but the team’s overall offensive rating of 59.6 points per 100 possessions underscored the difficulty of scoring against Green Bay’s staunch defense.

The Phoenix were only marginally better, shooting 33.9 percent from the floor and 21.1 percent from deep, but their slightly more efficient offensive execution and a 47-41 rebounding edge proved to be the difference.

The game was a significant bounce-back for Green Bay, which suffered its first loss of the season just six days prior in a tight contest against in-state rival Wisconsin. Kansas State, meanwhile, sees a two-game winning streak snapped as it prepares for a challenging tournament in Cancún, Mexico, next week.

The contest was projected to be a close one by advanced metrics, with Interstat’s ELO system giving Kansas State a narrow 54.90 percent probability to win. The game lived up to that billing, delivering a tense, low-scoring affair that was not decided until the final possession.